RANGERS got their Championship title bid back on track with a comfortable 4-0 win against bottom of the table Alloa at Ibrox this afternoon.

The Light Blues saw their advantage over second placed Hibernian cut to five points as they suffered their first league defeat of the campaign at Easter Road last weekend.

But it was to prove a straightforward 90 minutes for Mark Warburton’s side as they got back to winning ways thanks to a Martyn Waghorn double either side of a James Tavernier free-kick before Nicky Clark added a fourth late on.

Rangers are still five clear at the top of the table after Hibs beat St Mirren to continue their impressive run of form and keep up the pressure on the Gers.

Boss Warburton made two changes from the side that lost in Edinburgh last Sunday as he reverted to a familiar 4-3-3 shape, Gedion Zelalem and Nathan Oduwa coming into the side at the expense of Danny Wilson and Clark.

The Ibrox crowd were expecting a quick start from their side and they should have seen the first goal after just five minutes, Tavernier putting his shot just wide after neat play with Andy Halliday left him only keeper Andy McNeil to beat.

It wasn’t long before the Alloa shot-stopper had to pick the ball out of his net, though, as Waghorn opened the scoring in superb fashion.

McNeil will be less than pleased with his part in the goal as his poor clearance found the striker but Waghorn still had plenty to do as he controlled the ball and volleyed into the near post as McNeil scurried back across his line.

Within a couple of minutes, Rangers had doubled their lead and all-but secured the points as Tavernier curled a terrific free-kick beyond McNeil from 25 yards.

It was shaping up to be a long afternoon for the Wasps and the chances kept coming for Rangers, Oduwa firing over from the edge of the area before Jason Holt came close from a tight angle after a neat through ball from Zelalem.

The Arsenal kid should have scored shortly after Waghorn saw an acrobatic effort saved but he blasted over from inside the box.

Waghorn was determined to add to his tally once again but somehow missed from a couple of yards as he met a Tavernier cross from the right flank.

The closest Alloa came to registering in the first half came just five minutes from the end of the opening period, Michael Chopra pouncing on an error from Dominic Ball and striking the woodwork from a tight angle.

The final chance of the half fell to Waghorn and this time he made no mistake as he cushioned a neat dink from Barrie McKay over McNeil to clinch the win for the Gers.

Waghorn almost got his hat-trick just after the restart, the striker denied by a good save from McNeil as Rangers looked to pick up where they left off.

Warburton’s side saw plenty of the ball but couldn’t add to their tally, a shot from Holt after he burst forward from midfield and one from McKay that didn’t cause Alloa any problems as close as the Gers would come as the clock ticked down.

The afternoon did get worse for Danny Lennon’s side, though, as Edward Ferns was shown a straight red by referee Stephen Finnie for a challenge on substitute Jordan Thompson.

There should have been a fourth goal for the Gers, and a third for Waghorn, just minutes later but the striker was denied after good work from Zelalem and McKay.

Waghorn saw a free-kick tipped over in the closing stages as he was again left frustrated in his search for a hat-trick and Dean Shiels came close in the last minute.

The final chance of the game produced the final goal, Clark heading home a Tavernier cross as Rangers added another three points to their Championship tally.

RANGERS: Foderingham, Tavernier, Kiernan, Ball, Wallace; Halliday (Thompson 75), Zelalem, Holt (Shiels 61), Oduwa (Clark 61), McKay, Waghorn

Goals: Waghorn 10, 44; Tavernier 13, Clark 90

Booked: Wallace, Kiernan

ALLOA: McNeil, McAusland, Reintam, Marr, Hamilton; Doyle, O’Brien (Hoggan 80), Holmes (Hetherington 87), McManus; Ferns, Chopra (Duffy 61)

Goals:

Booked: Chopra, Ferns

Sent off: Ferns

Referee: Stephen Finnie